4 Desktop Applications that I Use Almost Daily

Nearly anyone uses a word processing program. Many use PowerPoint or KeyNote to make presentations. These, and other programs, are common programs that help us do our work.

But there are countless programs you can download to your desktop to help with online functions. As much time as I spend on my computer, you might think I have dozens of these. Actually, I only have four! Here they are, and the reason I use them.

iTunes. Okay, it might cheating a bit to list iTunes, but I use it for my information. I have only downloaded about a half-dozen songs in the years this program has been available. Instead, I use it for downloading podcasts that cover a world of different topics, but most are religious in nature. I have blogged about the ones I listen to before, but I will do a list in the coming weeks with what I listen to now. If you never use iTunes for information, you are missing a world of good. (cost: Free)

Evernote. As I use Evernote more and more, I like it more and more. Again, I will discuss in a coming list my major “use cases” for this program. You can use Evernote online, but having the desktop application helps when you need to store something very quickly. (cost: Free)

TweetDeck. As a Twitter fan, I love this Abode Air product. It can be customized in many different ways. I use it for very basic purposes, with my Twitter “stream,” my “@ mentions,” and my direct messages. I don’t run it constantly, but it is a great way to catch up on a lot of tweets when you’ve been away for some time. (cost: do you have to ask? It’s Free)

Readefine. This is my most recent addition, and I love it. I read a lot from the computer. From research to news to blogs, I am constantly staring at a white screen with black letters. That contrast tires the eyes after a while. Readefine takes what you want to read and puts it in newspaper format. The best part is that it uses a gray background, so it is a lot easier on the eyes. My Google Reader feeds into this program, so I read all my blogs there. The only drawback I have seen is that it does not embed videos. If a post mentions a video, you have to go to the original to see it. Other than that, it’s great. You can also copy and paste information from any website and read it here. If that white background gets old, this might be a good alternative. (Cost: of course, it’s free)

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What are some desktop applications you use that have helped you?